ISLAMABAD, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- U.S. energy company Chevron may come on board to help build a multilateral gas pipeline eastward from Turkmenistan, official sources told the Express Tribune.
The Pakistani newspaper reported Tuesday a possible role for Chevron in the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline is on the agenda of a bilateral meeting this week between U.S. and Pakistani officials in Washington.
"During the energy group meeting, the issue relating to awarding [the] TAPI gas pipeline contract to Chevron will come under discussion," sources told the newspaper on condition of anonymity.
The same sources said participating countries, notably Pakistan, were called on to award pipeline construction contracts to Chevron.
Iran and Pakistan are negotiating terms for the construction of a bilateral pipeline designated for Iranian gas. Pakistan says it needs to secure more sources of energy to help compensate for a domestic energy sector crippled by an aging infrastructure. The U.S. government is opposed to that project because of the economic benefits for Iran, the target of Western sanctions.
There was no direct comment from Chevron or the U.S. State Department, which is hosting the bilateral meeting.
